Chapter 11 Mirabelle #2
“Then yes, you’re on the list. You could’ve left me to die,” I say.
His lips quirk up into a proud, almost smug-looking grin. “Good.”
“You never answered my question. You don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”
I instantly regret my words when his expression shutters, his expression growing dark.
“It’s been hell. The trainers here are sadistic motherfuckers. My life is eat, sleep, fight. Get beaten and then beat the shit out of other dogs. Over and over and fucking over again.”
His sage scent picks up the thickness of a wildfire.
I reach out and brush my fingertips over the network of scars running across his body. A visual story of the pain he’s had to endure.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, blinking to soothe the burn of tears I can feel building behind my eyes.
“I don’t need your apologies,” he says, but there’s no bite to his words. If anything, his arms tighten around me as he tugs me closer to his chest.
“I—I can relate,” I say, fighting to keep my voice steady at the thought of him having to endure that kind of torture. “Not to the fighting, but to everyday looking the same.”
He eyes me curiously.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been told I’m a little strange,” I say, picking at my cuticles. A fond smile tugs at my lips when I think of Rowan. He was the first one ever to say that to me.
“I’d say so,” Ash huffs.
“What? Why?” I say, a little giggle rising in my chest. “I don’t think I’ve done anything super weird, have I?”
His gaze darts down to my chest, and a blush crosses my cheeks. I quickly wrap my arms around myself, hiding my nipples, which seem to have been standing at permanent attention for hours at this point.
“I mean, for one, you’re surprisingly comfortable being butt-ass naked.”
“I was raised in a facility with other omegas,” I huff, my cheeks puffing out with the motion as I turn away from him. “We had to follow instructions and protocols, and a lot of those included being naked, so I guess I’m used to it.”
“You’re joking.” His head jerks to the side as he tries to get a better view of my face.
I shake my head. “No. They—they sold me here when I broke one of the rules.”
“What fucking rule did you break to get you sold here of all goddamn places?”
Dread kicks me deep in the gut. My pulse instantly starts racing, and my throat closes up.
Oh God, why is my body doing this to me?
My strawberry perfume sours, exploding out from me and making Ash growl.
“Fuck, calm down,” he grits out, tugging me closer to him as his knees bracket mine. “Breathe, goddammit. You’re not breathing.”
I take a shaky breath, pressing the backs of my icy hands to my burning cheeks. They’re red hot with shame.
“I—I unlocked another omega’s restraints,” I say, my voice a hoarse whisper. “But she—she was different. She had—she had bondmates. Four of them! She wanted to get back to them, I swear I was a good girl! I was a good girl—“
He stops my babbling with a hand on my chin. My breath stops in my throat as he gently tilts my head to meet his gaze.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re yapping about,” he says, his voice low. “But the way you’re talking, it seems you think you deserved to get sold to this hellhole.”
My eyes flutter shut, and I give him the barest hint of a nod.
“Well, fuck that,” he snaps, gently shaking my head.
My eyes pop open at the passion in his words.
“Sounds like you were being held captive at that freak show of a place,” he says. “That right?”
“I mean—“
“Could you have left if you wanted to?”
I shake my head.
“Then you were being held captive,” he finishes.
“Oh.” I bite the inside of my lip to keep my mouth shut. My protesting only seems to add fuel to the fire here.
But my mind can’t help but think about all the presentations by Mr. Sebastian and the other handlers about our purpose at the facility, how the products of our procedures would go out and help the world. That our sacrifice was helping thousands upon thousands of people.
“I can practically hear the gears in that pretty little head of yours spinning.”
“You think I’m pretty?” I blurt out, blinking up at him.
His face splits open as a true grin breaks out across his face. Angels might as well sing in the corner. The man is stunning when he smiles.
“Yeah, shortcake, I think you’re pretty. Have to be blind not to.” He shakes his head, letting out a soft huff of laughter. “You’re not changing the subject that easy though, what’re you thinking?”
“I was just... I was thinking about what we were told back at the facility. They told us that ‘the product of our procedures would go out and help the world’,” I say, repeating the mantra they gave us in a monotone voice.
“Yeah, that sounds like a total crock of bullshit.”
“What?”
“Sounds like propaganda or something,” he shrugs.
“I think they were full of shit. No one who keeps an entire group of omegas captive has good motives, if you ask me.” His expression sobers as he looks down at me, brushing a strand of messy hair away from my face.
“No one who keeps a single fucking omega captive has good motives.”
I lean my head against his muscular arm, hiding my face from his intense gaze. I don’t know what to say to that.
If anyone said those words to me a couple of weeks ago before all of this happened, I don’t think I would’ve listened. Now, I’m not so sure.
Ash stiffens, a growl building up in his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s fucking coming,” he snaps, baring his teeth as he glares at the door.
“How—how can you guys tell these things?” I ask, glancing at the door and seeing nothing.
“Got better senses than you. Now get the fuck up.”
“Wh—what?”
“Stand up and go to the center of the room,” he growls, gripping my shoulders and hauling me to my feet. It’s not a painful hold, but it definitely isn’t gentle. “Now!”
I hurry to follow his instructions, nearly tripping on the chain that’s still around my ankle.
I glance at him over my shoulder as I wrap my arms over my chest and take a seat, trying to hide some of my nakedness.
I wasn’t lying earlier when I told him that being naked was a normal thing back at the facility.
There were the showers and the medical exams, but even though those could be awkward or nerve-inducing, they’re nothing compared to the fear I feel at the thought of being naked around the handlers here. Especially Jett.
If there were anything left to vomit in my system, I’d probably throw up at the thought of his rough hand drifting between my thighs.
Just as Ash predicted, the door slams open and Jett strolls in, the same two younger trainers from last night coming in behind him, their feet dragging on the concrete floor beneath them.
Jett’s eyes are bloodshot, almost wild.
His eyes lock onto me, his nostrils flaring.
“Rise and fucking shine, omega,” he snaps, saying my designation like a slur. “You survived.”
I just remain silent and frozen. Part of my brain hopes if I don’t move he’ll leave me alone, but I know that’s stupid.
He turns his cutting gaze to Ash.
“Your scent is all fucking over her,” he says, his cutting gaze turning to Ash. “I’m surprised you didn’t fuck her. I certainly would’ve.”
Ash’s snarl is vicious.
“Ahhh, protective already, are we? Perfect,” Jett sneers as he stalks towards me.
“Where—where are you taking me?” I squeak out as Jett roughly grips my leg to unlock the cuff.
“There’re three dogs, remember?”
At his words, Ash seems to lose his hold on his control, and a terrifying roar echoes off the walls of the barn.
“No! Don’t you fucking dare take her there!” He spits out.
He seems to launch himself at the nearest trainer, kicking his legs up into the air and wrapping them around the trainer’s neck before both of them slam into the ground.
The trainer’s body makes a sickening thump against the concrete.
“Fucking hell,” Jett snarls. “We forgot to shorten his chains.”
Jett pulls out the remote to his shock collar and, a split second later, Ash is spasming on the floor, all the control he has over his muscles gone as his eyes roll back into his skull.
“I’ll deal with this shitshow,” Jett says, shoving me towards the second wide-eyed trainer. “Take her to see Rage.”